Homer: Short Biography of Homer

Homer was a very well-known Greek. He was probably the greatest Greek poet. His work was published in the form of Iliad and Odyssey.

These long epic poems describe the episodes of Trojan war (1280 and 1180 B.C.) and contain valuable information about historical geography of the then known world.

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Homer believed the earth to be a place of circular form, surrounded on all sides by the Ocean River. The sky (vault of heaven), which he conceived as a solid concave surface, equals in extent to the earth, resting on tall pillars.

These pillars are in the charge of Atlas Mountains. It is repeatedly stated in the Homeric poems that the sun rose out of the Ocean Stream, and again sank into the same at its setting.

How it was carried back to the point from which it was to start afresh on its course no one in his days ever troubled himself to inquire. The stars also are represented as following the same course and bathing everyday in the waters of the ocean.

Homer described the four winds coming from the four different directions. Bores was the north wind, strong and cool with clear skies; Eurus was the east wind, warm and gentle; notes was the south wind on the front of an advancing storm, wet and sometimes violent; and zephyrus was the west wind, dreaded, balmy with gale force.

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Homer was not familiar with the terms ‘Europe’ and ‘Asia’, but at some later time the name ‘Europe’ was applied to the shore of the Aegean Sea towards the setting sun, and ‘Asia’ was applied to the shore towards the rising sun. The origin of these names, however, is not certain.